I grabbed this book from NetGalley because a bunch of people were talking about it in one of the fantasy groups I am in and I didn’t want FOMO so I grabbed it too. Now it did take me a bit to actually get to it but once I did I was super impressed. I listened it on audio and I wasn’t disappointed. I loved the narrator Laura Horowitz’s voice. It’s like the perfect Victorian gothic voice which is what this book was giving me. And I loved that she changed it for every character and it was enough that you can tell the characters apart, but they didn’t sound like silly voices that someone is just trying to all sound different.
The actually story was really cool it’s about how our main character Ophelia Grimm and how she is a necromancer and finds out her mother was in debt and her sister has left to enter Phantasma to win the game and take home the prize money. Ophelia being the great sister she is even though she’s pissed she didn’t know she also joins Phantasma to try and save her sister. Now if you’re like me and love a game you will enjoy this. Then add game plus demons/ devils/ and haunts. There’s also a love interest and a little spice. I wouldn’t say too spicy maybe like a 2.5 but it’s there.
I really enjoyed it. I’ll be reading book two when it comes out and I’d recommend it to everyone!

Thanks again to Netgalley, Second Sky/Forever and Bookouture Audio for the review copies.

Just fantastic! Such a fast paced read but one I wanted to sit down and savor and have it never end. I loved it so much and I need more from this author immediately. The characters, the plot, the pacing. It was all perfection.

Dang this book was so so good I couldn't put it down it was so addictive enemies to lovers, magic, trials, tension, a ghost cat, sibling love and more. I can't say enough good thing. And the tension and connection of the main characters are *chefs kiss* I wish we got some more back ground as it left a few unanswered questions

Reminds me of a Hunger Games meets Haunted Mansion mashup!

I found the start up the story a little dry And convoluted, but once Ophelia gets into Phantasma, the story picks up and it’s an entertaining ride with her hunky phantom help her by her side!

Not for the faint depart this one’s full of your and death as the players fight their way victory and the cash prize at the end of Phantasma.

I listen to the audiobook version married by Laura Horowitz, and found myself very excited to learn she would be the narrator. I have been following her on social media for a while this is the first narration by her and I’ve listened to. She has a wonderful reading face and voice variety for her characters. I really enjoyed the emotion range. She brought to Ophelia‘s adventure.

It was a fun and dark romance start off the spooky season!

I felt the comparison to Caraval made sense with the technicalities of Phantasma. It was a bit more dark and eery. I felt like i was vibing with this book in the first half, it was mysterious and held my attention. But then as it went on i found myself underwhelmed and not as intrigued as i was when i started. I liked Ophelia, i thought she was fine. I found Blackwell to fit that morally grey, mysterious man character-stigma. I found their romantic subplot to be meh. There was this kind-of tension between them and then all of a sudden theyre in love and theres a sex scene. I was like whoa did not see the relationship advancing that quickly, but okay. So from there i just was indifferent with their relationship and didnt see how it brought any other aspect or role into the story. the twists didn't really shock me either. i felt that some of this was quite predictable and i didnt have that OMG moment. I think the concept and everything for this book is fun but it didnt really pull me in like Caraval did.

Ophelia & Genevieve’s mom has passed away suddenly & Grimm manor is being foreclosed in 60 days so the city can build a hotel.

The younger sister disappears after an ominous promise that she’ll fix things. This is a story of Ophelia’s search for Genevieve and the gorgeous phantom she encounters in a 10 level crawler game where there can be only one winner who will get one wish from the devil.

You can bow out, make a deal with the devil or die in some gruesome fashion. I loved all the characters! The horror was great! A cat named Poe!

Action, GORE, mystery, humor, horror, and so much sex your eyes might fall out. I stayed up late to finish this in one listen.

Easy 5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley & Bookouture Audio, it was just what I was in the mood for. I look forward to book two, Enchantra! Great cover art & narrator!

This book was faced paced and the plot was PLOTTING. I fell in love with this cast of characters so instantly--even more so the more and more I got into the book. Many emotions were felt and I was living for the romance and action!

I loved reading this book physically but I wanted to try the audio version.
The narrator did a great job with the stories and the vibes matched perfectly to what I felt whilst reading the ebook version.
A great read again the second time around, and I still want more from this world!

I absolutely loved this audiobook the narrator really kept the stories pace really well. I loved her different voice and how she kept me in the story.

I on a scale of 1-5, would rate this book a 20! Kaylie Smith is now on my autobuy list. As soon as this book is available near me to buy I will own it!

Thank you for representing OCD in your book, and making us with it feel seen!

The characters and the stories were so well developed and had good growth through the story. I truly enjoyed this book.

Oh my gosh this book had me completely and totally hooked from the very first page and kept me hooked the entire time! I loved it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️.5

👻Paranormal Romance
🐈‍⬛Forbidden Romance
👻Haunted House Competition
🐈‍⬛Forced Proximity
👻Necromancer X Phantom
🐈‍⬛New Orleans but make it Fantasy

This was an arc.

I highly enjoyed this book. The only reason I did not
5 stars was a personal preference on the amount of spice scenes. Trust me I love spice but I felt a couple of them felt repetitive. The plot was amazing! I love the trials! The world building was the perfect amount. The growth of Ophelia’s character was so good! There was a part in the book that I felt threw me a bit, the part with Sinclair! IYKYK
The ending I was not expecting! I had a feeling but the true story I did not expect! Highly recommend! I would definitely read more from this author!


I did revive the ALC.
The narrator was amazing! Being that this story takes place in one POV one narrator makes sense. The different voices the narrator gave us to differentiate the characters was very well done. I loved this audio.

Phantasma is a gothic feast of a debut that will ensnare you inside its twisting walls and a secretive manor where deals are made and broken. In order to save her sister and obtain the elusive wish that is only granted to the player who survives, one necromancer must contend with the game's deadly competition. Since the release of her young adult series, I have been a big fan of Kaylie Smith's, and I think Phantasma may be my all-time favorite gothic romance and novel from her.

I LOVED this audiobook! The narrators did a fantastic job at bringing these characters to life. I was hooked the entire time!

I really enjoyed the trials element of this book. It wade for a very exciting and high stakes setting which I have been craving lately. Blackwell's character was sexy and downright wicked. The chemistry between him and Ophelia was addicting. Their banter was fun and at times scandalous.

Ophelia enters Phantasma as an attempt to save her sister from a potentially deadly fate. She encounters living nightmares and Devils who care very little if she lives or dies. She shows immense bravery just by entering into the trials.

Something that I like a lot about this book is that she is a necromancer. This gives her the ability to see dead people and phantoms that would otherwise be invisible to her. This is the start of why she and Blackwell have an instant connection...

Overall, this was a great read and I am so excited for book 2!

4.5/5

I absolutely loved this book and the audio is SO good! It's been awhile since a romantasy kept me at the edge of my seat. I couldn't put this one down, I needed to know where the story was headed. Phantasma is full of twists, turns, and a MMC that will make you swoon. I couldn't get enough of Blackwell and found myself as drawn to him as Ophelia was. The trials in Phantasma were so interesting, I couldn't wait to see what the next one would bring. I can't wait to pick up the next book in this series.

This was like a spicy version of Caraval. I'm not a fan of the way the narrator does the male voices, but she has good range. This book would be great for fans of spooky, mystical, game based books.

When Ophelia enters Phantasma, she must decide if she should follow everything she knows as a necromancer or throw caution to the wind.

Trials set in a haunted mansion in New Orleans? I’m sold. Give me a female necromancer and a phantom for a love interest? Say less. I’ve described this to my friends as a more grown up, slightly darker, spicy Casper. Which is something I didn’t know I needed. I also appreciated the OCD representation in this story.

I loved Ophelia and Blackwell. There was immediately chemistry and snarky banter which I loved. I found the trials based on the nine circles of hell fascinating. And the forbidden romance between our characters was the cherry on top. We have a couple mysteries in the story. I had a feeling about one, but the other took me by surprise. The gothic feel of this story is everything I needed for autumn + spooky season vibes. The next book has already been announced and I cannot wait for it!

🎧I’ve been following Laura Horowitz on instagram for a while because she’s hilarious. I’m so glad to say I really enjoyed my first audiobook by her. I’ll definitely be looking for more. I really enjoyed listening while reading.

Thank you to Bookouture and Second Sky for the arc and alc

Story: 5 ⭐
Spice: 3 🌶 (Mostly due to frequency)
Narration: 5 ⭐

I don't usually dish out 5 stars for performances with just one narrator, but Laura Horowitz did a fantastic job. She had voices for all the characters, and they matched each person/personality perfectly. I applaud you!

First, I want to say that I don't really feel like this is a romantasy. It feels more like a paranormal/gothic romance. There are some magic elements that happens within the book but most of it deals with ghosts, demons, devils, and other paranormal beings. Now that's out of the way...

I freakin' loved this book. Caraval is probably one of my all-time favorite series and this has similar vibes but make it more adult and spicier. I was on the edge of my seat most of the time and I was unaware of the twist. It was such a fun ride, and I cannot wait for her sister's story!!

I really enjoyed this! Going in I was unsure what to expect but I knew I wanted to read when I learned that this is a spicy dark romantasy where a necromancer needs help from a dangerous phantom to win a deadly competition, only to find their partnership puts her at risk of breaking the game’s most vital rule: don't fall in love. Really awesome narration and I was hooked!

What a debut! I was hooked from the very beginning and loved every minute. The characters were rich, the back story was intriguing and the levels within Phantasma were horrifying. The romance and spice were great. There was one little scene with the FMC on her knees that was one of the best spicy scenes of that nature that I’ve read/listened to. The description was —chef kiss! I knew there was a twist and I had my theories, but in the end I was a bit blind sided. I love it when I don’t predict what’s going to happen.

If you want some gothic, witchy, New Orleans type vibes then this is the book for you. I cannot wait for the next one.

Overall: 5/5
Audio: 5/5. Laura Horowitz!!! 👏👏👏
Spice: 3/5 (amt….quality was 5/5)

Loved this book a lot more than I thought I would. Definitely felt like Caraval meets Hunger Games but with some spice. Haunted house with several types of ghosts in the middle of a deadly trials with sisters in the middle of it what’s not to love.